Under an unusual set of circumstances, Honda says, the CR-Z's electric motor could rotate in the opposite direction to the gear selected in the transmission if the car stalls in gear with very low charge in its nickel-metal hydride battery pack.

In that case, if the driver hasn't put the brakes on, the car could move slowly away in a direction opposite from that intended: backwards despite the car being in a forward gear, for instance.

It would likely be a rare occurrence, and Honda says no injuries or deaths have been reported as a result of the software flaw.

Honda will notify owners of the 5,626 affected CR-Z models starting late this month, after which owners should schedule an appointment with their dealer to have the control software updated.

Once the company has notified 2011 CR-Z owners, they can also determine whether their car is subject to the recall by by going on-line to Honda's recall site or by calling (800) 999-1009, and selecting option 4.